Bow-facing oar



W. H. CLAY. BOW FACING OAR. APPLICATION FILED DEC-8, 1920.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

PATENT OFFIfiE.

WILLIAM HENRY CLAY, OF EUSTIS, FLORIDA.

Bow-racism can.

Application filed December 8, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM HENRY CLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eustis, in the county of Lake and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bow-Facing Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rowing oars generally, especially the type termed bow-facing, and is an improvement upon that forming the subject matter of Letters Patent granted to me September 1 1, 1920, No. 1,353,027.

The invention has for its object particularly to facilitate the submergent or dipping action of the oar and its withdrawal from the water, in other words, to effect this in perpendicular or straight lines, and also to provide for readily lifting the oar with facility to the gunwale or thereabove for greater convenience and ease to the rower.

The invention also has for its object to improve the structural features thereof and to effect the ready installment of the same for use.

Further objects of the invention, together Which drawings Figure 1 is a slde view of my invention as applied to the boat-gunwale.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an inverted View, partially fragmental, showing more particularly an oar, including the attaching means therefor to the gunwale.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 -4 of Figure l.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Serial No. 429,252.

Fig. 5 is a detailed horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view, showing more fully the character of the resilient or automatically retained pins of the guide rail applied to the gunu 'ale for the connection therebetween and the paddle.

As characteristic features of my present improvements, I provide a suitable guiderail or rod 1 upon the gunwale 2 of a boat, said guide-rail or rod having downwardly turned portions or terminals extending through socket-castings 8 secured to the gunwale, preferably as shown or otherwise,.said down-turned terminals of said rail or rod passing through orifices 3 in the gunwale and projecting therebelow. A preferably resilient or automatically retained pin t, suitably confined, against displacement, to

the gunwale by a chain or otherwise, is proupon each of said rod-terminals and thusprevent its inadvertent displacement.

The oar proper and its handle, designated as 5, 5, respectively, are each secured to, and between parallel clamping angular members 6, 6 the latter facing, oppositely at obtuse angles, each other, as shown, with the terminals of their angular portions con verging and pivoted upon the rod or rail 1 by a common, or the same, pivot 7, said pivot being preferably in the form of a pin freely sleeved as at 7 upon the rod or rail 1, said pin or pivot having inserted transversely therethrough preferably a cotter-pin 7 for the retention of the angular members 6, 6 upon said pin. The angular members 6 are suitably conformed in transverse sec tion and secured to the blade and handle members 5, 5 respectively, and have linkconnections 8, 8 with a sleeve 9 mounted to freely slide and turn upon the rod or rail 1, thus providing, by suitably operating the handle 5, for actuating the blade so that the blade is adapted to perform its submergent action or stroke also to perform its opposite stroke, or withdrawal out of submergence, along straight lines. This operation is due to the fact that the angular members 6 of the blade and handle members 5, 5, are adapted to not only have a longitudinal or endwise sliding movement upon the rod or rail 1, but

also to be rotated horizontally whereby, it is apparent, that the ear proper, is adapted to be disposed in a plane or position not only parallel with the axis or length of the boat but also be disposed in a plane above the gunwale. This arrangement, it will be observed, permits the handle member 5 to be brought into position to be conveniently manipulated by the operator or rower, thereby promoting ease and facility in effecting the rowing operation.

I claim:

1. In a device or the type des :ribed, the combination of a rail-me1nber secured to the gunwale of a boat, an oar-blade and its nan dle, a slidable and rotatable member ar-- ranged on said rail-member, means effecting; connection of said blade and handle with said slidable and rotatable member, a rotatable member arranged on said rail-member, said oar-blade and handle having terminals angled laterally towards said slidable and rotatable member and pivotally connected to said rotatable member.

2. ln a device of the type described, the combination of a rail-member secured to the gunwale of a boat, an ear blade and its han die, a slidable and rotatable member arranged on said rail-member, means effecting connection of said blade and handle with said slidable and rotatable member, a rotatable member arranged on said rail-member,

or its blade,

said oar-blade and handle having terminals obtuse-angled laterally towards said slidable and rotatable member and pivotally connected to said rotatable member.

3. In a device of the t pe described, the combination of a rail-member secured to the gunwale of a boat, an ear blade and its handle, a slidable and rotatable member ar' ranged on said rail member, a rod effecting connection or" said blade and handle with said slidable and rotatable member, a rotatable member arranged on said rail-member, said oar-blade and handle having terminals angled laterally towards said rotatable and slidable member and pivotally connected to said rotatable member.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a r il-member secured to the gunwale of a boat, an oar-blade and its handle, a slidable and rotatable member arrandle on said railmember, means effecting connection of said blade and handle with said slidable and rotatable member, a rota.- table member arranged. on said rail-member, said oar-blade and handle having terminals angled laterally towards said rotatable and slidable member and pivotally connected to said rotatable member, and resilient means for retainingsaid railmember to the gunwale. c a

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM HENRY CLAY. 

